The Royal Guard
by Krazy Kor
Summary: The kingdom of Hyrule lies beyond the walls of the castle, and Zelda wants to see it all. But an overprotective mother, and the responsibility of a crown keep her from this dream. Can Link give her what she wants and still keep to his duty? ZeldaLink. R
1. A Simple Ride Gone Sour

AN: Hey readers! This is my first try at a Zelda fic, so I hope you enjoy. Oh well, I won't keep you. On with what you're here for.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything titled The Legend of Zelda. Well, I own copies of a few of the games, but other than that, I own nothing. Well… I do own a very nice clock, but it has nothing to do with The Legend of Zelda.

The Royal Guard

Ch.1 A Simple Ride Gone Sour

The wind howled in her face as she urged her horse to run faster. She had the whole day to herself and she wanted to get as far away from home as she could manage. She didn't want to go back. The world was vast and grand and she wanted to see it all. But that would never be. She knew that even after she assumed the throne of Hyrule she would never be permitted to go beyond the borders of her land. By then, she wouldn't even be able to leave the castle. She didn't want to think about this now however. She just wanted to ride as far as the lake. From there, she would have a quiet little picnic, and then she would have to go home.

"Princess!" came the call of her loyal caretaker. "If you continue at this pace for much longer, you'll tire out the horse."

She complied, slowing the horse to a more relaxed gallop. "Sorry Impa, I just wanted to get there sooner so I could stay longer."

"I know you enjoy the lake, but you must think for the horse also. If you work her to the bone now, she won't be able to run when you need her to."

"Alright, but I don't think we're going to be attacked out here."

"You might be surprised at how dangerous the plains can be. Only the strongest warriors, or the cruelest bandits can live long out here."

"Then why doesn't Father do something about it?"

"The king is a very powerful man, but I'm afraid that he can do nothing to rid the land of its evils."

"Then that will be the first thing I deal with as soon as I'm queen."

"I'll put that on your list. Maybe you can fit it in between making the knights carry flowers instead of spears and painting the palace pink."

"I was three when I was talking about those, and I was joking anyways. I'm being serious about this. People shouldn't have to worry about being attacked at random."

"I know, but it's just as unrealistic as the others. The fields aren't safe, it's that simple."

They continued at their leisurely pace until midday when they finally reached the lake. The scenery was as breathtaking as one you might find standing on a mountaintop, but in a different way. The lake was massive to say the least. Even on the clearest of days, she could never see the western shore that supposedly was under the domain of another kingdom. All she ever saw was the horizon where the sky and water met. She often looked out her chamber window near sunset to watch the sun sink into the water.

Looking at the far edge of her vision now, she thought of how glorious the land beyond the water might be. What beautiful sights there were to see, what adventures might await. Whatever it was, she would never see them. It was her blessing and her curse. She saw it more as the latter over the former, but she was told otherwise everyday.

_"You have no idea what perils are out beyond these walls, why you could be killed just stepping outside the front gate!" _she remembered her mother saying to her on one occasion when she had wanted to see the legendary Kokori Forest. Needless to say, that trip never happened.

After a filling lunch, she took a brief swim. She had taught herself on one of her previous free days, and was considerably skilled. She couldn't compare to a Zora, but that was because they were born to swim. She went twice around a small outcropping of rock that stuck out of the water only a few meters from shore.

Had her mother been there, she wouldn't have been aloud to even go out knee deep. That was why she was so glad that only Impa went with her. Impa would protect her if she were in serious trouble, but she also gave her a lot more freedom than her mother gave. Perhaps that was why her father had appointed Impa to her as her caretaker. He was always thinking about what everyone else wasn't. He probably realized that his daughter wouldn't want to be suffocated by walls and never take any chances.

The water was cool against her skin as she flowed through it. She liked the water; it was like a home that was everywhere. When she was swimming or even taking a bath in the royal bathhouse she could always find a way to relax and think about things, and contrary to popular belief, fifteen year-old girls had many things to think about.

After she got out of the water and dried off, it was time to go. It seemed like they had only arrived but she didn't argue. Even a short time was enough to let her unwind. They packed what was left of the lunch onto their saddlebags; perhaps the stable boys would like some, and rode east to the castle.

They were riding north and passing through a small pine grove when it happened. A creature that resembled a man's skeleton, wielding a round shield and a curved, rusty long sword, jumped down from the trees above and slashed out at the princess' mount. She reared her horse back, narrowly avoiding the attack.

"Stalfos!" Impa yelled with urgency. "Run, we must get out of here!"

They turned their horses and dashed away to the south. As they raced along the dirt path of the grove, more and more Stalfos appeared, dropping from trees and jumping from bushes. It was as though they were hiding in wait, expecting them.

When they burst forth from the grove, they thought they had escaped. But to their dismay, more Stalfos awaited them outside, and had them surrounded. They encircled them, loosely at first, but closing in, the circle growing tighter and tighter. They had no hope of escape.

Impa stepped off her horse and drew her dagger, which she kept on her back at all times. "I'll give you an opening. Make use of it and get home before the drawbridge rises."

"Are you mad?" the princess protested. "You won't survive!"

"I'm not important!" she snapped back. "I am prepared for this."

"I'm not leaving you!"

"This is no time for being a stubborn fool, it's better that I die and not you."

"I'm not leaving!"

"When you make up your mind…" Impa muttered. "Fine, but if I die, you run."

"Deal."

Impa charged forward, knife at the ready, and then… she disappeared. She reemerged with a flash, in front of one of them. She took a large chunk out of its head with her knife and disappeared again. She jumped from one to the other, cutting many Stalfos to ribbons. She was quick and efficient, but she was doomed.

Impa looked into her satchel she used to carry her flash powder, she was on her last bits. She didn't even have enough for a proper flash, and there were still many Stalfos. She looked over her options, and decided.

With a final flash of light she appeared in the center of the circle. "Run!" she yelled to the princess.

She didn't argue this time; she knew hope was lost for them both escaping, but she still had a chance. She rode past Impa and out the gaping hole she'd created in the circle. When she was out she turned and watched, hoping beyond hope that things would change. The Stalfos charged toward Impa all at once and attacked.

She held her ground bravely, fighting with a mastery that came to her naturally. Thrusting, slashing, swiping, and all the while dodging the rusted blades. But the inevitable happened. One blade got lucky. She was about to down another, but a blade came from nowhere, and cleaved off her knife hand. She fell to the ground, clutching her bleeding stump in agony. The Stalfos mobbed around her and started kicking her for sport. She was doomed and they were celebrating.

The princess stayed and watched it all. The hoarse cackling, the cruel beating. Then, when the Stalfos were done with their game and one of them raised its sword to finish the kill… a miracle happened. Its hand shattered, and the blade fell.

The princess thought she had seen something hit the creature's hand, only an instant before it broke away. She looked in the direction from which she thought the thing may have come from, and there he was. He was a young man of Hylian decent. He wore a simple, green tunic with a cap matching in color, and rode on a brown horse that looked stronger than even her father's steed. His hair was blonde and his eyes were blue; they matched her own perfectly. Upon his back, he bore a steel sword, and a wooden shield. And in his hand, with a fresh arrow already notched in place, was a composite bow. He let the arrow fly toward the small horde of Stalfos, and charged.

His horse crashed through the mass of bones, and he emerged from them with Impa hanging onto him for dear life. He slowed his horse to a halt, dismounted, laid Impa onto the grass, and ran headlong back into the Stalfos, his sword drawn and shield at the ready. He crashed into them with ferocity unlike anything she had seen. His blade became a shimmering whirlwind of death on his one side, and his shield on the other was bashing anything foolish enough to try and advance on that side. In the end, he was standing in the middle of a ring of normal, lifeless bones that had once been a horde of fifty Stalfos.

The princess ran to Impa's side, and stared at her wound in horror. She had truly lost her right hand. The young man ran over to her side and looked at the injury also. "This is bad," he muttered.

"She is a servant to the royal family, will she survive long enough to get her to the palace?" she asked him. "We have some of the finest doctors there, surely they could heal her."

"They might, but the palace is too far, we'd never make it before sundown when the bridge rises. If you'll allow me, I can take you both to my home. I have the means to heal her and you can stay the night without worry."

"If it will save her."

"Then we can't waste any time."

"Wait! May I ask your name?"

"You may. My name is Link, I suppose you could call me a ranger."

"And I am Zelda, the Princess of Hyrule."

"It's an honor to serve, my lady. Now we must go!"

AN: That is Chapter 1! I hope you enjoyed. Now please review. If you liked it, tell me what you liked. If you didn't like it, tell me how I can improve, or at least what you didn't like. If I get at least a few good reviews I'll keep going with this. Hope to see you next time at Chapter 2: The Restless Night and A Rangers Reward. Laters!


	2. The Restless Night and A Rangers Reward

AN: Well you guys (or at least those who reviewed and are the only people worth mentioning) liked the first chapter, so I suppose I should pretend to try to be a nice guy and give you chapter 2. But can you handle it? Do you really think you've got what it takes to read this story? You probably do, but I always wanted to say something like that. I'm a little crazy, I know. It's in my pen name for cripes sakes!

Okay then, that turned into a nice little ramble. Get used to it, I ramble before almost every chapter; it's what I do. Anyways, thank you reviewers. You guys rock! Keep sending them.

Disclaimer: I'm not an owner; I'm a consumer. Therefore, I don't own the Legend of Zelda series; I consume the series.

Ch.2 The Restless Night and A Rangers Reward

Impa rode with Zelda on her horse, Link rode ahead of them. They were going so fast, the horses were going to drop soon; it was amazing they hadn't already. Impa was fading in and out of consciousness; she wouldn't last long. Zelda silently prayed they would reach Link's house soon.

They rode by a small plateau that appeared to have no way up, at least not on that side. As soon as they passed it by, Link turned his horse sharply to the right and Zelda followed shortly after, gripping Impa so she wouldn't fall off. As soon as she reached the top of the path, Zelda saw Link's house. It was little more than a cottage, with nothing special on the outside to speak of the greatness of the one who dwelt within.

The inside of the cottage was something different from the outside. After Link lit a few lanterns, the strange variety of his lifestyle was shone to Zelda. Hanging on one wall was a rack, containing many weapons of different sorts. There were spears and javelins, axes and maces. He clearly had used them all. Not far from the rack, there was a furnace and anvil, along with many other items that were to Zelda, tools that a blacksmith would use. There were shelves of books, varying in thickness. Close by were yet even more shelves, but these held bottles of strange liquids.

Reality snapped back to her as Link took a bottle containing a red, bubbling substance from the shelf. He half walked half ran over to Impa with the bottle, and poured some of the liquid on her wound and forced her to drink the rest.

"What is that?" she asked.

"It's an antidote that I created some time ago," Link replied. "It'll cure almost any poison she may have received from the blade, and it'll give her the strength to hopefully last until I've made preparations. It's also an excellent pain reliever."

"Why would she need that?"

"…I'm afraid I'll have to cauterize the wound."

"What does that mean?"

Link didn't answer. Instead, he walked over to the furnace, and started piling coals into it. Soon enough, he had a roaring fire in the small chamber. He then proceeded to pump air into it. An hour later he deemed the fire hot enough, and placed a metal device partway into the stove. A few moments later he gave Impa a small piece of wood to bite down on. "It's better than her biting her tongue off," he explained.

He then told Zelda to wait outside, reasoning that it was not something she needed to see. So Zelda waited apprehensively. The moments ticked by slowly, slow enough to be several lifetimes in her opinion. Just when she thought this was taking forever, she heard a muffled, but bloodcurdling scream coming from within the cottage. It was followed a moment later by a loud, hissing sound.

What was going on in there? Was he hurting her even worse? It was torture to wait out there, but she knew that if she went in, she would see something absolutely gruesome.

After a moment, the screaming stopped. And then came the wait. It was like before, but even worse. She knew that when Link came out that door, he'd tell her that Impa was dead. She could see him now in her mind, his hair strewn about his face wildly, a creepy smile on his lips, and a mad light in his eyes. She knew he had killed Impa, and he would kill her too. The mere thought of it made here want to run in fear, but her legs were numb; it was impossible to believe they were still holding her up.

The door opened, and Link stepped out. He wasn't smiling, his hair was only slightly displaced but still fairly neat, and his eyes were completely unreadable. "You can come back in now," he stated calmly. "She's resting, so please try to be quiet. I've done what I can."

When she entered the cottage again, Impa was lying on a cot and was still very much alive. The stump where her hand had been only that morning was now wrapped in a bandage. "Will she live?" she asked hopefully.

"I've seen people die from less, but I've also seen people survive worse. It's in her hands now. We'll know in the morning."

Zelda looked at Impa carefully. She looked so fragile, like it would only take a harsh stare to kill her. But she was alive, and it seemed, to Zelda at least, that she was looking somewhat better than when she had first entered the cottage.

"She will live," she declared, as though passing judgment on her.

"I think you're right," Link agreed, happy to see that she was taking the situation well. "You should probably get some rest. You can use my bed, it's up the ladder over there. If you need anything, I'll be outside."

With that he walked out the door, with Zelda whispering "Thank you," but he didn't hear it.

…Sometime later…

Zelda tossed and turned on the uncomfortable mattress. She couldn't sleep. Not just because of the mattress, too much had happened for her mind to settle down. She wished she could go for a swim, but she hadn't even seen a pond in the near vicinity of the cottage. Not that she was looking of course, but it would have been nice to just wash away her restless thoughts.

As she was just about to give up on sleep entirely, she heard a sound from above her. It was faint at first, but it grew in strength. Someone was playing on an instrument of some sort, it reminded her of an ocarina, but different from the ones she had heard in royal courts. This one sounded as though its music wasn't from paper, it was too random, too raw. It was like someone was pouring out their soul.

It started so slow, like the start of a lazy morning when one just woke up. It continued like this and then burst into a joyous fast paced adventure to unknown lands. It slowed again, taking on the view of something simple but enjoyable. It flowed along, back into the adventure, and then changed again. This time it was dark, intense, and strong. It then advanced to a desperate race, with failing hope and great urgency. It continued from there, and into a slow, meticulous, and very sorrowful procedure. And it finally ended with peace.

Somewhere, in all of wonder of the music, Zelda eased off to sleep.

…The next day…

Link awoke from his sleep to the sound of his door closing. He stood up on his rooftop where he had spent the remainder of the night, and looked down.

It was Impa. She had survived the night, and regained her strength. He jumped off the roof and approached her. "How does your arm feel?" he asked in greeting.

"Better than when you were melting my skin, but thank you for doing so," she replied.

"Again, I am sorry for doing that," he said, looking at his feet. "I hated it, but it was the only way."

"You don't have to apologize any more than the first time. I knew exactly what you were going to do when I saw that furnace. I accepted my pain, and I forgave you. The princess' safety makes up for all of it."

"I think I'll go find breakfast then, maybe Peahat, there'd certainly be enough for the three of us." He picked up his bow and quiver from where they laid and ran off, in search for food.

He found his prey easily enough; Peahats were always easy to find. He placed an arrow into its place and drew his bowstring back until it was taunt, and fired. The shaft flew straight and true to its mark. He then gathered up what edible portions he could carry and ran back home.

When he arrived however, no one was there. They had left, without even saying goodbye. On the door they had left a note. It read:

_Dear Mr. Link,_

_I am terribly sorry to leave while you're away and without bidding you farewell, but my parents are very likely to be worried for Impa and myself, so we had to leave quickly. Thank you for saving Impa's life, she is like my sister and I couldn't bear to lose her on my account. I hope someday to see you again and present you with a reward suiting all you have done for us in the short time we were able to know you. Until that day, please accept my most heartfelt thanks._

_Yours sincerely,_

_Princess Zelda_

Link studied the letter all morning, reading it again and again. He couldn't believe she was already gone. Less could he believe he actually missed her so soon. Perhaps his life of solitude was finally getting lonesome. It didn't matter why, he would still miss her even if he found out.

He read the line again that was of most interest to him. _I hope someday to see you again and present you with a reward suiting all you have done… _He thought this ironic. Had she stayed but a little longer, he'd have obtained his reward merely by seeing her happy. It was all the reward he needed for anything he did.

He went over to his horse, whom he often called Epona, and mounted her. "Where shall we go today girl?" he asked her without expecting an answer. "What do you say to seeing the forest? It has been a while since we saw everyone there. I just hope Mido doesn't kick me out again, at least for a few hours."

AN: Chapter 2 is done. You know what you should do now? That's right, you should review. I love receiving reviews, almost as much as I love writing this stuff. Besides (Ahem) I have other works I can be doing also. So if you want this to have even a decent ranking on my list of priorities, you're going to have to give me a reason to. One good way, and basically the only way, is by reviewing. So I'll see you guys next time at Chapter 3: A New Shield and The Duty That Comes With It. Laters!


	3. A New Shield and The Duty That Comes Wit

AN: Well, I got quite a few reviews for the last chapter, so I guess this story gets top priority. I think I'll just skip my usual rambling and get to business. Start feeling lucky people; this is a rarity.

My thanks to the reviewers. I only keep going for you guys… that and I like writing.

Disclaimer: I don't own the Legend of Zelda series. If I did, Link would be right handed.

Ch.3 A New Shield and The Duty That Comes With It

Link hadn't done much since that day. Sure, he'd fought off a few monsters, saved a village from bandits, but he did that all the time, and wasn't very productive by his standards. At least, not enough for it to count as three weeks. Had it really been that short a time? Yes, it had been three weeks. Three lazy weeks, and he wasn't sure why. It didn't matter a lot to him, it just was.

This was the least of his troubles at the moment however. His thoughts kept turning back to Zelda. Did she think of him? When would he see her again? Would he ever see her again? Why the hell was he worrying so much about her? It wasn't like he knew her well or anything. Perhaps it was what people in the villages called "infatuation," whatever it meant. All he really knew about the word, was that it had something to do with young women, and it drove young men crazy. It seemed to fit the problem quite well. She was a young woman and he was a young man, and something about it all was driving him mad! He really needed to spend more nights at the taverns; maybe it would help him understand people better.

His thoughts were interrupted by a sharp knocking on his door. It was probably one of the Gerudo thieves; they visited him whenever one of them was injured. Despite the fact they were bandits, he never turned them away. At least it made for good use of his medical skills. When he opened the door however, he wasn't greeted by anyone of the Gerudo. It was in fact, the exact opposite.

Three men, all wearing bright chest plates and helmets covering their eyes, and carrying spears stood in front of them. Clearly they were soldiers, perhaps draft officers. Link hadn't heard of any animosity between nations in some time, but news always reached him last so it wasn't too unlikely.

"I am looking for a ranger by the name of Link," said the one in the front, clearly the officer among them. "Do you know where I might find him?"

"Please, come in," he replied. "I am Link. How may I help you?"

"I am here to deliver a message," the soldier announced. He then withdrew a roll of parchment, cleared his throat and read, "To Mr. Link. You are cordially invited to an audience with his majesty, King Bastion Hyrule the twenty-fourth. We will expect you on the date of the fifteenth of the month. Please bring whatever possessions you wish; the rest shall be sent for later."

This last part puzzled Link to a point. "Why am I asked to bring my stuff?"

"It would appear to me," the soldier guessed, "that you are to be a guest."

"What is the date today?" he asked next. He never had any way to keep track of the date.

"Today is the fourteenth."

Link looked up towards the sun. It was already starting to sink low at this time; they wouldn't get there by sundown. "Very well, I shall most humbly accept the offer. I will set out first thing tomorrow."

"Very good sir," the soldier replied. "Our orders are to escort you if you accepted, so we shall be ready to leave at the instant you are."

"Excellent!" Link exclaimed. "Please, make yourselves comfortable. We'll leave just after dawn."

By the time they had made preparations for tomorrows journey, it was already getting late. Link set them up with cots, and went outside to sleep on the roof again. He couldn't wait for tomorrow. If he was going to meet the king, then he would probably see Zelda. He didn't know why that was such a nice thought, but it was. By the time he finally got to sleep, he decided to blame it on that word, infatuation.

…The next day…

It had been some time since Link had visited the Castle Market. Even if he was just riding through, it was still an amazing place. There were entertainers juggling for rupees, a married couple obliviously dancing in the streets, and every store was packed with people. It was like the entire area had its own life. The path up to the castle was covered in guards. The need to protect the royalty was understandable, but this was ridiculous! There must have been at least one hundred guards, watching the path from above, and another fifty actually on the path!

When Link finally saw the palace, he was enamored like never before. He had seen it many times in the past, but only from great distances. This place was big enough for a giant! The towers were the size of mountains to him. The main battlements must have been hundreds of feet tall. Clearly, the royal palace had been made with the words oversized and impregnable in mind. The front gate looked to be made of steel, with the royal emblem of a great bird and the legendary Triforce etched deeply upon it.

When they were finally permitted entry, after several security checks to make sure the soldiers were really soldiers, and to verify that Link was allowed to carry his weapons, they tied the horses at the stables. The stable master was a young man of only seventeen, but he was apparently a man who knew horses better than most anyone. He looked like it too. His brown hair was filled with straw, like he had been sleeping in the hay bails (which he did), and he was very impressed with how strong Epona was. The soldiers hadn't noticed anything, but the stable master said he could tell by the sheen in her hair. He truly knew horses, like Link knew his sword. And Link even knew the number of nicks on it.

The interior of the palace was even larger than it had appeared to be from the outside. The pillars holding up the ceiling appeared to reach up to the heavens. The floor echoed with the comings and goings of the servants. When he entered the main audience chamber, it took every bit of strength in him to keep his jaw from dropping. It was even bigger than the last room! And to make things more impressive, the room was nearly filled to capacity. The only floor Link could see was a red carpet that was laid out before him. He continued forward, trying not to look at the crowd. He hated being watched by so many people; it made him nervous for one odd reason or another. So he looked beyond the sea of people, and towards his destination.

At the far end of the room, there sat three people. On the right was a woman. She looked no older than perhaps her mid thirties, and wore only a fine amount of jewelry. As he approached them, she seemed to be eyeing him cautiously, as though he may attack at any moment. Next to her, was a man. His robes were rich, but kept a great deal of modesty to them. Link wasn't sure, but he thought the man might have been smiling at him, but only faintly.

And finally, on the left side of her father sat Zelda. Her golden tresses were hanging all the way down to her waist, and her clothes were befitting a princess. The outfit was by no means gaudy, but it still carried a certain level of aristocracy. When he got closer, she smiled happily at him.

When Link approached the throne, he immediately bowed low, showing his respect. He hadn't heard of this tradition before, but the soldiers had been kind enough to teach him the basics during the ride. He hoped he was doing this right, he'd feel stupid if he had been lied to for the sake of mockery. Thankfully however, that was not the case.

The king rose from his seat, and everyone followed suit. At least that was one thing they had been honest about. "Greetings young warrior," the king spoke as though he were spending time with an old friend and not a complete stranger. "Please grant me the honor of your name."

Was he serious? Link had always thought kings just gave commands, not simple requests. Perhaps it was an order anyways… or maybe he was just thinking too much. "My name is Link, Your Highness," he replied, raising his head to face him.

The king looked at him curiously. "You raise your head to me… but I have not given permission," he mused.

Link quickly lowered his head again. "My apologies, My Lord. I have always thought it best to look a person in the eye when speaking to them. I always thought it to be a sign of respect."

"Ha ha ha ha ha ha!" the king laughed happily. "A wise choice in words Link. You may look upon me."

"Thank you My Lord," he replied gratefully, raising his head again.

"Tell me Link, why do you think I asked for your presence?"

Link thought a moment. It probably had something to do with saving Zelda. He was certain of that. But he couldn't find a good way to say it, so he tried the next best thing. "I'm not entirely sure. I have done nothing that I don't normally do."

"So you save my daughter on a normal basis?" he inquired.

He was caught! "No sir, I don't. I did suspect this had something to do with that occasion, but I did not wish to seem rude."

The king laughed again at his words. Why was he laughing so much? "You are a very honest young man," he stated between fits of laughter. Was honesty really such a comical thing? "It is refreshing to see it in someone whose life doesn't depend on it." He laughed some more, and when he finally regained his composure, he continued. "You are correct Link, your actions that day are the exact reason you are here. I will get straight to the point. Though you were successful in saving Impa's life, as well as my daughter's, Impa is no longer fit to serve the royal family as she has in the past. And so I ask you now Link, who better to protect my daughter, but one who has protected her now former protector?"

"…Me?" he asked. Was this really happening?

"Exactly!" the king announced.

It was at this moment, that the queen jumped in. "My Lord," she began, "can we really trust our daughter's life to this boy? He doesn't even come from a village. He raised himself on the fields. How are we to know if we can trust him?"

"Mother," Zelda spoke up. "He saved my life! He saved Impa! What more proof of trust do you need?"

"True as that may be," the queen conceded the point, "but he is not even a knight, and therefore cannot serve this family as the two of you would have him. It is the king's law."

"Well of course I was going to knight him," the king defended his decision. "I know my laws well enough to know the procedures."

This time, a man in armor stepped forward to protest. From what Link could see of him, he was not too old. Forty-five, maybe fifty, but he couldn't be much older than that. His hair was graying slightly, but it still held its old black shine, for the most part at least. His armor looked like it weighed a great deal. And the sword on his back was so big that even a Goron would have trouble lifting it, and had an emerald placed on its pommel.

"My King," he spoke with a strong voice, "you cannot be serious! This boy is barely old enough to be a squire, and you wish to knight him? It's unfair to the men who work away their youth, just to attain such an honor."

The king thought of his point for a moment and decided. "You are right, Sir Dale. It would be unfair for someone so young to just shoot up the ranks. Would you think it fair, if we were to have you test him?"

"I would have no objections to that," Sir Dale agreed.

"Very well then. Link, if it is your wish to be a knight of Hyrule and my daughter's new bodyguard, you must defeat Sir Dale, in man to man combat."

"To be a knight would be a great honor Your Majesty, and to protect the princess would be an even greater honor. I accept the challenge."

"Then it is decided. You may use whatever weapons you choose. Wait for my order."

He then returned to his throne and bid his wife and daughter to take their places beside him. He then turned his eyes to the combatants. "You may begin!"

Sir Dale may have been old, but he was fast. He ran straight for Link with sword drawn, and death in his eyes. He was clearly determined to kill this would be knight. Link moved to the side to avoid a downward slash, then jumped back to dodge a sideways attack. He drew his sword and shield and moved to strike. His attack was blocked by a gauntlet. Then came the giant fist that plowed into his face, bringing up a field of stars. The next thing he knew, he was leaning against a nearby pillar. He wasn't sure how it happened, but the lump on the back of his head gave him a few guesses.

This guy was incredibly strong, and he had the speed to match it. Link had to think fast, or there would be two of him in a less than enjoyable way. Sir Dale was already charging again, sword poised to kill. Link took his chances and waited for the attack. And it came in the form of a thrust, a perfect time to try the sorry excuse of a plan he had decided upon. He moved to the side at the very last instant, and there was nothing the raging bull of a man could do to stop himself. His sword ran deep into the pillar, and he was unarmed. It was now Sir Dale's turn to see stars. Link smashed his shield into the back of his head, shattering it to splinters. And so the knight fell.

When he finally rolled over, Links sword was pointing at his throat. "This fight," he declared, "is finished. Let's do that again sometime, but don't try to kill me!" He then extended his hand, and lifted him off the ground.

"Why don't you kill me?" he asked. "You can't win unless I die."

"I merely had to defeat you," Link reasoned. "I never agreed to killing you."

"Very true," the king walked over to them. "I never intended for either of you to die. Though it was rather odd that you tried to kill him Sir Dale."

"I was merely giving him the best challenge I could My Lord," the knight replied. "Had he died, it would have proven him unworthy. But he lives, so I shall make no more remarks on the subject, unless in his defense and praise. That, and I fear I may not have fully understood your intent."

"Indeed. I will accept your reasons Sir Dale. And remember your words well. All of them."

He then turned to Link and smiled like a father to his son. "Well, let's get this on with," he said. And then he turned his head toward the queen, "Unless, of course there are any other objections." The only response he received was silence. "Then, kneel Link, and give me your sword."

Link did as he was bidden and awaited the ceremony. He had heard of these a few times, but had never witnessed one. "Do you swear, upon your name and honor, that you will henceforth, serve the kingdom of Hyrule with your blade and your life? That you will protect those who cannot protect themselves, and always show respect towards your king and the women of this land? That you will hold your duty close to your heart, and never falter? Upon this vow do you swear?"

Now was Links turn, "I swear."

He then turned to Zelda, "Would you like to perform the honors Zelda?"

She immediately ran forward with a slight amount of haste that wasn't very proper for a princess, but it went unnoticed. The king handed her Link's sword. She stepped in front of him and tapped his shoulders, once on the right, then the left, then right again. As she performed the ritual, the King spoke, "Then, by the rights vested in me as king, I dub thee, Sir Link. Now rise."

Link stood, and as he began to reach for his sword from Zelda, he received a punishing hit to the arm. It was Sir Dale's fist that had struck him, did he hold a grudge. When Link stared at him, fists clenched, ready to fight back, Sir Dale raised a hand. "It is the final right," he explained. "Think of it as the last insult you are allowed to let go of. Any others you receive, must be met with violence."

"And with that, you are a knight," the king exclaimed. "And for the final pieces of your reward." He clapped his hands, and in walked a servant, carrying a new shield.

It was an excellent creation. Its outer side was made of steel, with a beautiful depiction of the royal emblem, and a new shine to it. The inner side was some form of wood that he couldn't identify. Its only special traits on this side were the shoulder straps, which were made from the finest leather, and the handle, which was the same steel as the outside. The structural design was fairly simple and practical, just the way Link liked it.

"With this shield," the king spoke once more, "I grant you the title of 'Royal Guard of The Princess.' Protect her well."

Link felt the weight of the shield and was amazed at how light it was. It barely weighed more than his old one. The next moment, he heard applause. The crowd was cheering for him. He was so embarrassed, that he blushed, but only slightly.

Caught up in the moment, he barely noticed Zelda trying to catch his attention. When she finally managed, she bowed her head slightly and mouthed out the words "Thank you," and smiled. Link understood the whole situation now. She had wanted to reward him for his actions, so she recommended him to be her new bodyguard. This was of course, considered a high honor, but Link still would have been content with just the smile. And so he decided that he had gotten his reward, and an extreme bonus. And then, looking again at his new shield, he realized he'd gained one more thing. A responsibility. His shield arm suddenly grew tired, as if to foretell the great burdens that this new responsibility would bring.

AN: I hope you liked that chapter, I know I do. Okay, now that you've read, there is of course only one thing left worth doing. That's right… now is a very good time to review. If you guys give more reviews, then I'll pump out chapters for my other works quicker, which'll mean that I can get back to this story sooner. You see how this works, you give me what I want, and I give you what you want. Fair enough right? Oh well, see ya next time at Chapter 4: A New Beginning In A New Home. Laters!


	4. Of Spies and Conspiracies

AN: Okay, you've waited long enough, sorry about that. I've been getting homework up to my neck, and there have even been some arguments with a few of my teachers. I really need to be less frank with people, it's going to get me in trouble sooner or later. I'll work on that later. Right now, you guys need a fourth chapter. But first, I must inform you that I've decided to change the chapter title and remove the portion of the story that was going to go with it. There was really no point to it. Instead, you get what I've decided that you will get.

Many thanks to those of you who sent such kind reviews, I'll consider not ruining your lives tomorrow.

Disclaimer: I don't own the Legend of Zelda series. If I did, I would laugh at you people who don't, and then I would dance like a monkey.

Ch.4 Of Spies and Conspiracies

The rest of that day had gone by in a giant, confusing blur for Link. After the court was dismissed, Zelda had shown him around the entire palace. He had seen the dungeons, the armory, the training grounds, the kitchens, the dinning halls, and so many more rooms that he lost track after the fortieth, and some of those he had forgotten also. The only place he was definitely able to remember was his new room.

It was at the top of one of the tallest towers in the palace with a window on the east side. There was a very nice set of furniture in the room consisting of a comfortable looking bed, two chairs, and a small round table near a fireplace with a tea set sitting patiently, awaiting use. There was also a very new looking bookshelf off in one corner. He nodded to himself in satisfaction. This would make for a fine new home.

"I hope you like it," Zelda mentioned waiting for a response.

"It's very nice," Link replied. "Yes, this will do nicely."

"I'm glad you like it," Zelda said. "The things you left at your cottage should arrive in a few days. You can start settling in once the couriers arrive."

Just as she finished her sentence, a great bell tolled out. Its deep brazen voice called to everyone that it was now an important time of the day, or night, depending on the hour.

"Bedtime already?" Zelda asked to no one.

"This early?" Link asked. "The sun hasn't even gone down yet!"

"But it will soon," Zelda explained. "The entire castle is on a curfew. After the sun goes down, everyone who isn't on the night watch goes to bed. Most people get quite tired after a full day here."

"And what about for those who aren't tired?" Link asked.

"You can do whatever you want, as long as you stay in your room," Zelda replied. "I'm going to go get ready for bed. See you tomorrow."

"Good night," Link said as she turned and walked through a door off to the side.

"I nearly forgot to tell you about this," she stopped halfway through the door. "This door connects our two rooms in case of emergency."

"Hope I don't need it," Link smiled.

"Goodnight Link," Zelda said, then closed the door behind her.

As Zelda had said, nightfall wasn't far behind the ringing of the bell. Soon the only light to be seen was coming from the stars above, the torches below, and a waxing gibbous moon somewhere in between. Link stepped over to his window to see the view it gave. He could see everything on the east side of the castle and some of the south. A nearby tower that went even higher than the one he was in now blocked the north side. The view he already had though was amazing enough. He could see far off lights in the distance, probably small villages. Even further was the desert. He couldn't see it in the darkness, but he knew it was there.

He then went over to a nearby hook that was bolted onto the wall, and hung his sword and shield on it. He was about to place his knife that he kept in his boot, on the bookshelf, when he saw a hand grabbing the ledge of his window and pull up a man in a black jumpsuit. His face was mostly covered by a bandage wrap, but his red eyes were perfectly visible. Over the black suit, he wore a ragged cloth with a red eye painted on it. Link immediately assumed that this man was an assassin. So much for a simple shadowing job.

The man in the window spotted Link, kicked the window open, and jumped through the opening with a dagger at the ready. Link tightened his grip on his own knife and rushed to meet the assailant. He stabbed at the man with a reverse grip, holding the knife so that it pointed downward. The figure glided to the side and slashed out at Link, but fortunately for him, he turned his failed stab into a dive. When he turned around, the man was already right in front of him, another slash on the way.

The knife fight quickly degenerated into silver flashes and the sound of steel striking steel. Neither man taking the offensive or the defensive, just testing each other, searching for the opening. Link found it, and made his move, trapping his opponent's blade under his own, he then punched him where he thought his jaw was. The man stumbled backward, dropping his knife in the process.

Link closed the small distance and stabbed at the assassin again, this time with a forward grip. The man caught his wrist, forced the knife from his hand, and kicked it to the side. Now it was a fistfight. Link punched the man in the gut and took a hit to the nose. He responded to the retaliation by running the man into his new bookshelf, reducing it to a pile of firewood.

The man threw Link off of him and forced him away. He then circled around him, and grabbed him by the head. He was just about to snap Link's neck when Zelda burst through the side door yelling, "Sheik! Get off of him!"

The man, whose name was apparently Sheik, let go of Link's head and stepped away. "My apologies Princess. I thought he was an assassin."

"That's rich," Link responded dryly, "I thought _you_ were an assassin. You certainly look the part."

"Yes well, you don't exactly look like a palace guard yourself," Sheik retorted.

"That is no way to be speaking to your direct superior Sheik," Zelda said in an amused tone.

Link's jaw dropped open, and judging by Sheik's reply, he was sure that he had done the same.

"This guy's my boss!" he nearly yelled. "What happened to Impa?"

"This guy's my subordinate!" Link was yelling. "Who hired him?"

"Impa hired him shortly after she began his training," Zelda explained first to Link. Then, turning to Sheik, she continued, "Impa was recently rendered unable to perform her duties, and was honorably dismissed. Link is her replacement."

"What exactly did she train him to do?" Link inquired.

"What exactly does 'rendered unable' mean?" Sheik asked at the same time.

"She trained him to be a spy, but he can make for a good assassin also," she replied to Link first again. Then, turning back to Sheik, she said, "Her knife hand was cut off." Then to both of them in a slightly annoyed tone, "Now, as much as I'm enjoying this, I have classes tomorrow and my teachers will not accept any excuse that I could deliver if I'm sleeping in class. You guys can sort out any other questions either of you have. And if I hear anymore racket in here, you will be spending the rest of the night in the dungeons. Goodnight!" She walked out, slamming the door behind her.

After a moments silence, Link turn to Sheik and asked, "Do you really think she'd throw us in a cell?"

"I wouldn't put it past her," Sheik replied. "She doesn't make threats very often, but she follows through whenever she has to."

"I was afraid of that," he said. He walked over to where the two knives were lying on the ground and picked them up, handing Sheik his weapon. Then, leaving his hand extended, he said, "Sorry about belting you. Instincts got to me."

"Likewise," Sheik replied, accepting his hand. "Shall we get to business, or would you like to hug next?"

"No cheek from the deku gallery," Link said sternly. "But yes, business does sound like a good idea. Want tea?"

"Please."

Link walked over to the smashed shelf and started picking up pieces of wood. "Sad waste of a good shelf. I needed a new shelf." Throwing a few pieces into the fireplace he looked over to Sheik. "Got a flint?" he asked.

"Nope, but you do," Sheik replied.

"You're good," Link admitted, pulling a piece of flint from his belt. He soon had a small fire going and was boiling water. They were soon sipping on some very good, warm tea. Link noticed that Sheik was drinking his tea through a reed straw. Link took this as Sheik's way of saying that he didn't want him to see his face. He knew there were reasons and could have easily ventured a guess as to why, but he wasn't going to bother trying to get an answer out of him. Let him keep his secret, at least until it becomes a hindrance to his duties.

"So then, business," he said, prompting Sheik to begin.

"Of course," he replied, taking another sip. "Are you aware of the party at the end of next week?"

"I was only knighted today, I haven't even had a nights sleep here yet," Link replied.

"No then," Sheik concluded. "Not important, you know about it now. Anyways, there will probably be an attempt on the princess during that party."

"Probably?" Link repeated.

"I can't give you anything solid, but I got it from a fairly reliable source," Sheik said.

"Fairly?"

"Nothing is absolute in my line of work. Either it turns out to be true, or you worry over nothing. You'll find out if it's true or not when the time comes."

"I'd prefer a yes or no, but it's better than nothing," Link said. "Anything else?"

"Yeah, whoever the assassin is, he's fairly new to the trade and he's not taking this job for personal reasons. Someone wants the princess dead for their own gain, or for someone's loss."

"Does our potential assassin have a name?" Link asked.

"Probably, but I didn't hear it," Sheik admitted.

"And the employer?" Link asked.

"No name for him either," Sheik replied.

"Do you at least know how he might try to kill her?" Link was starting to get annoyed.

"Sorry, all I heard about the actual attempt was the time period, which is the party next week," Sheik said.

"Maybe you're not quite as good as I was beginning to think," Link said, hoping to get something useful from Sheik.

"Whether you think I'm good or not is irrelevant, I still do my job," Sheik said calmly, while pulling out a pamphlet. He opened it up and started flipping through the pages, and when he came to what he was looking for, he continued, "But if you want proof of my skill, which you do, I know how the Zora Fish Bait works, this should do nicely. Your name is Link. You have been living on the plains for about eight years now. Before that, your home was somewhere in the Kokori Forest. You left at the age of eight for unknown reasons, but it is presumed that a gentleman by the name of Mido had something to do with it. You have been known to use a wide variety of weapons, but you prefer a sword and shield. Before living here, your home was a cottage just west of the Gerudo Dessert. Your favorite food, or at least the food you most commonly eat is roasted Wolfos leg. You own a-"

"Alright, that's enough," Link interrupted. "You've made your point, you're good."

"Thank you," Sheik said, closing his pamphlet.

"Should I even ask why you know so much about me?" Link asked.

"For a Sheikah, training is a way of life," Sheik explained. "Impa thought I was taking this belief to an extreme level, so she told me to get a hobby."

"So I became your hobby?" Link guessed.

"In a way. I keep notes on every interesting person in Hyrule. High-ranking political figures, tribe leaders, anyone who's survived more than a month on the plains. It's a fairly exclusive list."

"Sounds like I should feel honored," Link chuckled. "Mind if I see what else you've got on me?"

"See for yourself," Sheik obliged, "if you can read it."

He handed Link the pamphlet with it opened to Link's page. Link took a moment to look it over and smiled inwardly.

"Very impressive," he said. "The letters are an old variant of the Kokiri alphabet, but they're arranged in the Goron language with several bursts of Zora to confuse anyone trying to decode it. And then there are these portions that look more like scribbles. This is pretty good."

"I'll have to add that you're a linguist," Shiek complimented.

"So then," Link said, returning the pamphlet, "can you give me anything else that will be useful?"

"About the possible attempt? Well I could tell you the benefits of lacking information, but you might not be interested," Shiek replied, smiling under his bandages.

"I'm interested," Link assured him.

"Very well then. Since I haven't heard much about this assassin, it can mean two things. Either he's new to the trade, or he is so good that he is outside my information ring. Since my informants always have a name for veteran assassins, we can assume the former. So you're likely to be dealing with a very stupid young man. Also, because I don't have a name for the employer, it is clear that he is very discreet in his dealings. And since he's hiring a novice, we can assume that he is very cheap, or that this is the first assassination he's backing. However, because he is so discreet, we could also assume that he wouldn't take chances hiring a new face. So you're likely to be dealing with a professional, private assassin."

"So which is it, the professional or the new guy?" Link asked.

"Can't say, could be either, could be both."

"So there might be two?"

"It's not very likely, but it's possible."

"Great, your speculations have turned this into a conspiracy," Link said with a slightly amused tone in his voice.

"It was a conspiracy to begin with. There have been several attempts on the princess' life over the years and I've never figured out who was pulling the strings on any of them. I think it may be the same person. It fits into the theory of a discreet employer with private assassins."

"Would this guy be likely to use Stalfos?" Link asked.

"It's a possibility, but he hasn't yet," Sheik replied. "Why?"

Link explained what had happened near the grove the day he met Zelda and Impa from his point of view.

"So that's how Impa lost her hand," Sheik mused. "Do Stalfos travel in such large groups often?"

"I've never seen them in such large numbers before, and it looked like they were actually cooperating," Link said. "Stalfos never cooperate. They aren't what you would normally call a social race."

"This is very troubling," Sheik said. "But it's also useful. Maybe I can find someone who would be likely to have some sort of power over Stalfos. He might turn out to be the guy who keeps sending these assassins. Or at least, he might know him. If you'll excuse me, I've got to get back to work."

Sheik got up and went to the window.

"Hold on," Link called to him. "When will you be back?"

"When I hear something that would interest you," Sheik replied.

"Good, could you also drop in the night before the party? I may need help if there's more than one of them."

"I'll see what I can do, depends on whether or not I hear something useful to my other clients."

"Is that why you keep the mask on?" Link asked.

"Yes, I can't let my targets see my face,"

"So you're spying on me also?"

"I spy on everyone," Sheik stated proudly, stepping up to the window, "but I spy for you first, boss." And with that, he jumped out the window, and was gone.

AN: Well that went well. Next chapter should be soon, I've got spring break next week, HUZZAH! But I make no guarantees, so just hope and wait. And while you're waiting, you should review. I love it when people send reviews. It makes me happy and I make sure I don't ruin the lives of my reviewers. That's right, I am a professional life ruiner, I even have a license for it. So review, and be spared from me and my life ruining skills. See you next time at Chapter 5: Party Time. Laters!


	5. Party Time

AN: Well, here's the next chapter. I know, it took another while, but you know it's worth the wait. That's why you put up with me.

Much thanks to my reviewers, I'll happily accept more, and more, and still more. Just like money!

Disclaimer: I will own The Legend of Zelda when world peace has been realized. So basically, I'm never gonna own it.

Ch. 5 Party Time

Link had been wrong about many things in his life, and he wasn't ashamed to admit it. He'd been wrong about how observant dodongos were, and he'd been wrong about how fast their flames could travel too. And now he realized he'd been wrong about the material used to make his new outfit, which had been specially tailored to his specific measurements. He had expected the white linen shirt and red velvet tunic to be itchy and uncomfortable, but it was quite the opposite. It felt even nicer than his normal attire. He had also traded in his patchwork green shorts for some very nice light tan woolen hose, which were also made for comfort.

The party was in full swing now. Apparently it was a sign of good will from the king, saying that the royals were still friends with the more well-to-do families of the many tribes and villages in Hyrule. There were representatives from villages as far north as Kakoriko, and as far south as Tormak, and everywhere in between. The courtyard where the party was being held was filled with people of nearly all the races, but Link did notice that there were no Kokiri. Mido was probably still trying to keep the forest village its own little isolated kingdom within a kingdom. A small part of him wished he could see one of the small, childlike race, but he was also happy to see they weren't trying anything they couldn't possibly handle. Link had severe doubts about the political capabilities of the Kokiri. Who'd be crazy enough to listen to the counsel of someone who looked to be no older than seven? Aside from himself, of course.

At the moment, he was following Zelda around the maze of people, being introduced to many people he'd met while breaking some random siege on a village or rescued from some gruesome fate, and a few he'd never even heard of. Every time he was introduced, he shocked Zelda simply by knowing or not knowing the people to whom he was being introduced. Apparently, he had a knack for knowing the unknown, and not even knowing of the infamous.

"I'm betting that you won't know this next one," she said, guiding him again through the labyrinth of faces. "He's a very well known chieftain of one of the larger Goron tribes. Oh! There he is, over there. Darunia! How have you been?"

"I've been exceedingly well, Daughter of my Sworn Brother," the giant replied with a booming voice. "How are you this fine evening?"

"I am quite well, thank you," Zelda said. "Please allow me to introduce you to my new bodyguard-"

"Link!" Darunia bellowed, taking Link into a great bear hug. "How long has it been, brother?"

"Dah… Darunia," Link gasped. "Can't… breathe."

Darunia quickly dropped him, and bowed apologetically, "Sorry about that. I forget that you are so fragile."

"You never did have a very good memory," Link chuckled, happy to breathe again. "And to answer your question, it's been about two months."

"So long a time already?" he replied. "Hmm… or would that be considered short to humans?"

"It's neither," Link said. "But it doesn't feel like it's been long enough. I still remember those flames in the cave."

"Yes, that was amusing," Darunia laughed.

"Should I bother to ask?" Zelda inquired.

"I would prefer it if you didn't, but it's your decision to make," Link answered.

"Then I won't."

"So, what are you doing here, Link?" Darunia asked. "It's a long way from your plateau, and the clothes look very new."

"Somehow, I'm protecting the princess," Link replied. "It's quite a story actually, but I'm afraid I have neither the time, nor the energy to spare, to tell you in full."

"It's just as well too," Darunia said, looking past them. "I have to speak with the representatives from Cyan River. Minor business, but important. If you'll excuse me." And with that, he walked away.

After a moment of silence between the two of them, Zelda said, "Well, back to work."

"What do you mean?" Link asked.

"I mean it's time to get back to talking with the greediest, most self-absorbed people in Hyrule," Zelda explained.

"I thought we were just here to socialize with a bunch of politicians," Link said.

"After about the third time, you tend to see the difference between socializing with politicians, and competing with or for them."

"So, what was Darunia doing with me just now?"

Zelda paused a moment. "He was socializing with you, but competing for me."

"Why?"

"He knows that if I say even one thing in his favor, he'd be held in higher regard with my father, and right now, that's what he needs. His tribe and the Cyan River tribe have been having border disputes. If my father doesn't choose a side to support soon, the two sides will likely have a war. It'd be very quick of course, Darunia's tribe is the stronger. There probably wouldn't be more than a few dozen casualties on his side, but the Cyan River tribe would be decimated. If one side wins favor, the other will have to leave their homes. It's a win lose situation."

"There isn't a middle option?"

"No, Cyan River's tribe is a Deku tribe, and Darunia's tribe is of course, Goron. The Deku want the forests on the Goron side, and the Gorons want the stone depositories found on the Deku side. This would normally be an easy problem, and get solved by a simple shift in the border, but the geography doesn't allow for that. Trade is impossible also, considering what the two sides want the materials for. It's all one giant headache."

"That is why your father is involved in the fiasco," came a smooth, leathery voice from behind them. "He is a man of unparalleled wisdom. If he cannot find a solution, then it is impossible to find one."

Link turned in a flash, hand twitching a fraction to his sword. But when he saw who had spoken, he calmed down. He hadn't found an assassin behind him, but the very embodiment of a gentleman.

He was a tall man with a very regal posture. He had a finely trimmed beard and his hair was smoothed back without a single strand out of place. His expression was one of calm, and absolute control of whatever situation that could possibly befall him. Everything about his attire, from polished boots, to the burgundy shirt on his back, spoke of high-class aristocracy.

"Uncle, you startled me," Zelda said without sounding the slightest bit shaken.

"My apologizes, Princess," the man said, his voice also showing no sign of any emotion befitting his words. "I believe that I have yet to have the pleasure of meeting your friend here."

"Of course, this is Sir Link," Zelda said. "He has been charged with my protection."

"An honor to meet you, Sir Link," the man said, extending his hand. "I am Mori Kyron, Duke of Tormak."

"The honor is mine, Your Grace," Link said, accepting the hand.

"I must say that it is quite surprising, to find someone so young, and given such an important task," the duke commented.

"I am, nonetheless, very capable," Link answered calmly, his hand twitching unnoticeably to his sword. He knew that the punch he'd taken from Sir Dale was supposed to be his final insult, but Zelda's words from earlier rang clearly in his head.

_"Appearance is everything. As long as it's subtle, the insult _must be ignored_!"_

"One can only hope," Kyron replied. "Also, may I congratulate you for not falling into a fools trap? I look forward to testing you further. Good evening to both the of you."

"Are you leaving already?" Zelda asked, now sounding a little disappointed.

"I'm afraid I must," he replied. "I have important matters to see to in Tormak. If I don't deal with them soon, my brother will treat me like an incompetent novice and step in."

"There is no shame in accepting a little help under extreme circumstances," Zelda reasoned.

"Unless, you have an image such as mine or your father's to keep," he countered. "Again, good evening, Princess, Sir Link." He then turned and walked to the exit.

"I either like him, or I hate him," Link said as soon as he was sure the duke could no longer hear him.

"He has that effect," Zelda replied, cracking a small smile. "He's a master of the political arena. Every time I see him, he tries to play me into a trap. He praises me for everything I do right, but he also points out every flaw I reveal."

"He didn't seem to mention anything aside from when I didn't fall into his little trap." Link said.

"No, he said a lot," she said. "He knows I told you to leave your less politically useful traits for the night. 'If it's not politically useful, it's politically useless,' he said to me once. He praised us both for your behavior. I think he likes you, you'll probably get tested quite often."

"Well, I've got a good teacher, so I should do fine," he said with a hint of a smile.

They went on through the night, talking with nearly everyone in attendance, and then talking about them briefly in an attempt to understand what had been said in the subtleties in each conversation. Zelda, of course, knew what was really being said, but Link still needed to get things spelled out for him. She hoped that he'd learn quickly. He seemed to know many things, but what good would mending a broken bone on the battlefield do for him here? She knew he wasn't foolish enough to walk into some of the more obvious traps, like the one her uncle had laid for him, but anything more than that and he could turn into a liability. But he knew this. So she decided to just help him along, and hope that he would learn.

Link was worried about other things at the moment. There hadn't been any sign of an assassin yet. He knew that Zelda wasn't worried. She was more preoccupied with avoiding a war that could happen at the slightest turn of phrase. He didn't think that such a thing could happen, but he knew better than to question those who knew better than he did. He decided to let her worry about the bigger picture while he focused on the more immediate threats.

He also thought that he'd seen Sheik a few times. If that was so, then perhaps he could be trusted to help keep Zelda safe after all. Link wasn't sure, there was too much he didn't know about him. He'd at least shown up the night before, like he said he would. During that meeting, they had agreed to a plan of how they would deal with the assassin(s) they might be dealing with. Link was to stay close to Zelda that being his duty, and Sheik would sneak through the crowds trying to find anyone suspicious. If he did notice anyone, that person would simply "disappear," as Sheik had put it.

Zelda was currently speaking with a Deku chieftain from one of the western forests, when Link saw someone who made his blood freeze. What was _she _doing here? He knew her family was a very high-ranking one, but it had never occurred to him that she'd show up here.

She hadn't noticed him yet, that was good. He had to get away quickly. Zelda was finishing up her conversation, good. Now if only she could wrap it up a little faster… Finally!

"We've gotta go, now!" he whispered urgently.

"Why, what's wrong?" she asked.

"No time, just move before-"

"Link?" came her voice. Damnit, she'd spotted him!

"Run!"

He took Zelda by the wrist and rushed her through the labyrinth of bodies. They made it through the maze of people and into an open area. He looked back, and they were clearly being followed. Did she have to be so persistent? Only one choice was open to him. He ran with Zelda still in tow, into a nearby tower. Up, up, and up the stairs they went, until they finally came out onto a great balcony. Link listened briefly at the entrance to the balcony for a moment. He was safe.

"What was… that about?" Zelda asked, catching her breath. "Was it… an assassin?"

"No one after you, I promise," Link said. "She was after me."

"She?" Zelda inquired.

"Ruto," Link explained.

"The Zora Princess?"

"She's a princess? I didn't know that."

"Her father is the King of the Eastern Zora tribe."

"Great," Link said, leaning forward onto the guardrail. "She's crazy, _and_ she's a princess! How lucky can I get?"

"How do you know her?" Zelda asked, joining him at the rail.

"It was probably four years ago now," Link began. "I was trying my hand at fishing, on boat, out on the southeast lake. I was pulling in my very first fish, when I first saw her. She was being chased by some giant shark. To make a long story of an epic battle short, I killed the shark, and got her then unconscious body to the shore. When she woke up, she thanked me, and said that she'd marry me as thanks. She called me her hero, and the love of her life. I thought she was cute at the time, so I didn't object. She said we'd be married shortly after I brought her home to her father, so we set off north to her home. By about midday I realized I had made a big mistake. She just kept talking and talking and talking, complaining about every little detail and acting like she was in charge of the world. That night, while she slept, I ran like I was being chased by twenty dragons, and didn't stop until noon the next day. Now, she tries to drag me back to her home every time I run into her."

"You nearly married Ruto?" Zelda laughed.

"I know, scary," Link chuckle.

"What were you thinking?" she asked.

"I thought she was cute," he said. "I didn't know she was a whiny little princess who had to have her way."

"But still, Ruto!" she continued, doubling over and clutching her sides.

"I know, I know, I was young, foolish," he reasoned.

"You're still young," she mentioned.

"I'm aware of that," he said. "I'm a little wiser though."

"Yeah, now you run whenever you see her!" Zelda teased. "Some 'brave ranger' you are. You'll fight any monster on the plains, but you run from a 'whiny little princess."

"You know, you're a ocean of sympathy," Link said. "I wonder if you'd laugh like this if I were one of those people, down there."

"Of course not," Zelda replied. "I have to be nice to them, I can laugh at you whenever the opportunity arises."

"I'm not sure if that was a compliment, or an insult," he remarked.

"Well, I'm not acting, so call it a compliment," she replied. She then stood up, regained her composure, and said, "I can't be missed too long, shall we go back?"

"Sure, but I reserve the right to run scared if I see Ruto again," Link said with a smile.

"Not possible, she's next on my list of people to see. It's better to get her off you now rather than later."

"I'm either dead, or saved."

They began walking to the stairs when the assassin chose his moment. He stepped out from behind the entrance, a small crossbow poised and ready to fire. Link instantly snapped into action, and shoved Zelda to the side. The crossbow fired, the bolt soared through the air, exactly where Zelda's face had been and instant ago. Link ran straight for the man. He readied another bolt, it had been in his other hand waiting, and he fired again. The bolt struck Link in the arm and he kept going, sword now in hand. Link was on top of him an instant later… or had it been an hour? Time had lost its control on him. By the time he regained his sense of time, he was standing over two pieces belonging to the same dead man.

"Help!" someone screamed. It sounded like Zelda. Where had she gone? She wasn't on the balcony.

"Help me!" her panicked voice came again. It was coming from near the guardrail. He looked down, and saw a blurry shape, dangling from the rail.

"Link!" Zelda's voice came from the blur. "Pull me up, quick!"

Link reached out with a blurry hand and grabbed the blur and pulled it up. It was really heavy, too heavy to be a human, or was he weakening? Had the bolt that had struck him been poisoned? He managed to pull the blurry figure up, and then he collapsed.

"Pull it out!" his voice sounded shaky. "Pull it out!"

There was a pause, the blur shifted slightly, and then he felt pain. Immeasurable pain. He then heard a small clatter. The bolt was out.

"Green vile… third pouch… belt," was all he could manage. The blur started rummaging through his pouches until it came to the right one. He tasted the liquid as it was poured down his throat. It was the right one.

His vision began to focus again, and when it cleared he saw Zelda's worried face starring intently at him.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

He propped himself up against the guard rail and smiled. "I should be, just give me a minute. He was using some pretty fast poison. Thanks. You saved my life."

Zelda sat down next him and ran a hand through her now ragged looking hair. "You're a terrible bodyguard, you know that," she said. "You push me over a ledge, and then you have _me _save _your _life!"

She was joking obviously. Link smiled and said, "You failed to mention the parts where I save you from getting shot in head, and pulled you up from that ledge."

"My mother is going to kill you if anyone saw that, which someone probably did."

"Spare me the details," he said, checking his wound. It would probably leave a scar. He was thankful he'd brought along his medical supplies, though he hadn't expected to be using them on himself. He pulled out a bandage and quickly wrapped the wound securely, it would have to do for now.

When he looked up again, Zelda was standing, her hair perfectly set as though it had never been out of place. She offered her hand to him and asked, "Ready to get back down there?"

He smiled and replied, "Do I still have to see Ruto?"

"Yes," she said.

Link took her hand, and helped her pull himself up. "As though getting shot wasn't enough."

AN: That went pretty well. I hope you guys liked it. Now go do something useful. Oh, you'd like a suggestion you say? Well I can't think of much right now that you could do. I suppose there's always reviewing. That's useful. See you later at Chapter 6: Procedure and Politics. Laters!


	6. Procedure and Politics

AN: Well, here we all are again. I'm writing, and you're reading. I know it's been awhile, and you know that I know I should get my ass in gear. So I'm gonna try and do that.

Much thanks to the reviewers. I hope you send me a truckload next.

Disclaimer: I'm just going to tell you what I told the Japanese lawyers. If I owned The Legend of Zelda series, you wouldn't be at your current location, doing exactly what you're doing.

Ch. 6 Procedure and Politics

Link crashed onto his bed, footsore and half exhausted. The party had finally ended and he was going to get a very good sleep. That is of course, he would have if a pebble hadn't hit him square on the forehead.

"Owe!" he exclaimed, jumping into alertness.

"Sorry, had to wake you up somehow," came a somewhat familiar voice from the window. Sheik was just sitting there, casually throwing a second pebble from one hand to another.

"Don't do that again," Link said calming down, his tiredness forgotten. "So, where were you?"

"When?" Sheik asked.

"At the party," Link prompted.

"I was at the party," Sheik replied.

"What were you doing?" Link asked, losing his patience.

"When?" Sheik asked again.

"During the party," Link replied, his voice straining.

"Oh!" Sheik exclaimed. "Many things."

"Such as?" Link asked.

"Well, let me see…" Sheik said, taking a thoughtful posture. "Albert was spying on Count Wingate's wife, who was chatting with Baron Walton of Korma. He's only too grateful to them for knowing not to do some of the things they spoke of, at least not during the party, in front of every Hylian noble and their cousins. Lex was busy poisoning the drink of Jannis Throck, a rather annoying but very successful news journalist for one of the local papers. She was asking the Duke of Kakoriko some rather troubling questions. She'll be found dead tomorrow morning, as a result of a heart attack. And Anthony was searching for the as I understand it, now former future husband of one very annoying Zora Princess. When he found the poor fellow, he decided to fail the assignment."

"I'll have to invite him to tea sometime," Link smiled.

"He would like that," Sheik said.

"Would you like some tea?" Link asked as though speaking to a complete stranger.

"Why thank you, Sir," Sheik replied in a similar manner.

While sipping on a particularly good green tea, Link said, "Thanks for not telling her."

"Not a problem at all," Sheik replied. "How did your time with her go with the princess?"

"Quite well. I don't think I'll have to worry about her anymore. She left in a fury."

"I know, I saw her. Did you see her face? I was actually afraid!"

"Yeah, she looked like she was going to kill me!"

"She'll probably order me to do it too. I suppose I should sever my ties with her."

"That'd be a good idea. She might try to marry you next!"

At this point they were both laughing quite loudly when from the side door, Zelda came in. "Could you two keep it down in here?" she asked. "I have classes tomorrow."

"Sorry, Zelda," Link said. "Do you need anything?"

"No, just some quiet," she replied. "Good night." And with that, she walked back into her room.

"So," Link said, taking one last sip of his tea. "Where was Sheik during the party?"

"Sheik was performing the impossible mission of searching for a possibly non-existent assassin. He searched dutifully through out the course of the party, until Anthony saw his target kill the assassin. I later on had the opportunity to have a look at the corpse."

"And…" Link prompted.

"And, he had no distinct features. Congratulations, you've killed the infamous Grain."

"That was Grain?" Link asked, completely astonished. "I killed one of the most successful assassins in the known history of Hyrule?"

"Yes, you did," Sheik confirmed. "I'm surprised you've heard of him."

"Just rumors from travelers near my old house," Link said. "He was described as 'a man who looked like everyone, and no one at the same time.' I heard he was a master at infiltration."

"Yes, he could go in, kill his target, and get out while saying good evening to every guard in the area, and they'd never remember him," Sheik added. "You got lucky."

"You're not joking," Link agreed, wincing slightly as he raised his right arm. "He used some sort of fast-acting poison on me."

"Good thing you studied under Dr. Apataus," Sheik said.

"How did y-" Link started, but then remembered Sheik's pamphlet. "Never mind. So, why didn't you kill him before he got to us?"

"I wasn't looking for him."

"Yes you were. You were looking for anyone who seemed to be a threat to Zelda!"

"Exactly, and if I were to kill everyone who was a threat to her, there wouldn't have been much of a party. I was looking for immediate threats. Unfortunately, when I did see Grain, I didn't think he was a threat. I didn't even know he was who he was."

"Then how could you have identified him?"

"He's the only assassin without any distinct features. No moles, freckles, or scars. His nose is just the right size, his eyes just the right color. He is remarkable because he is unremarkable."

"I take it you checked the corpse thoroughly then?"

"Standard procedure."

"Glad I don't have your job."

"I could say the same about yours. At least I don't get shot at."

Sheik then got up, and headed for the window. "By the way," he said, turning around. "You called the princess by her name, not her title, why?"

He was right. He had done that. He hadn't even noticed. "I guess it's because I don't see her as a princess, not anymore that is."

"Then what is she?"

Another good question. What was she indeed? "Maybe, a friend whom I want to protect."

"Well don't let it get to be more than that."

"What do you mean?"

"As her guard, you're not allowed to pursue a relationship with her."

"A relationship?"

"I'm not going to explain everything to you. Suffice to say, you're not to think of her as anymore than what you currently think."

Before Link could ask what he meant, Sheik jumped out the window, and back into the shadows. Afterwards, Link's tiredness came back, and he fell back into his bed. Sleep followed shortly.

…The next day…

Guard duty was at times a less than exiting job. It was made worse for Link when he was on duty outside the door of one of Zelda's classrooms, listening to the dull droning of the professor inside. He couldn't even understand some of the things he heard, and what he could understand was nothing new to him.

On occasion, he wanted to interrupt a lesson when a professor got a crucial subtlety of a culture wrong. It was a sign of there own ignorance. But the one time he had, the professor merely yelled that he didn't appreciate any rude interruptions from someone who hadn't any proof of his knowledge. As though he needed proof. Had the professor asked a Goron the purpose for only eating limestone during certain dates, he'd have known that it coincided with the ten-year anniversary and all future anniversaries of the death of a family member or an important friend.

Fortunately, he wouldn't have to endure lessons today. He was just settling into his usual position, leaning on a wall, when a messenger came to him.

"Um excuse me, Sir Link," he said. "The king wishes to speak with you in the courtyard immediately."

"I see, but am I supposed to leave the princess unguarded?" Link asked.

"I am to take over for you, Sir," he said. "The king said I might enjoy listening in on the lectures. I'm quite looking forward to it."

"Maybe I should let you take over during all of her classes," Link offered.

"I would like that, Sir," the messenger replied. "My name is Jon. Perhaps we could get something arranged."

"We'll see," Link agreed.

He then left to the courtyard, noting to have Sheik check in about Jon. He wasn't going to let a first impression fool him. It was like Sheik had said last night, anyone could be a threat.

The king was waiting for him when he arrived at the courtyard.

"Sorry if I kept you waiting, Your Majesty," he said, hurriedly. "I'm still learning to find my way around here."

"Please, Sir Link," the king said, raising a hand calmingly. "I used to get lost quite often myself. I was actually thinking about hiring guides for people who are less familiar with the castle. It might help with such things."

"Until someone comes along who actually relies on the guides," Link pointed out the eventual flaw.

"Exactly why we don't have guides," the king agreed. "Now please, would you take a walk with me through the gardens?"

"Of course, Your Majesty," Link said.

"Please, no titles," the king said. "I am Bastion, you are Link. I don't like titles really. They make us seem less human."

"But I've heard it is that appearance of super humanity that keeps the people looking to you," Link said.

"Yes, but since the common people aren't here, why worry about that which isn't needed?" Bastion asked.

"Very true," Link agreed. "If we're not using titles, do you mind if I ask you a question?"

"Ask anything," Bastion offered.

"Why did you call for me?" Link asked. "I doubt it was just for a walk."

"Ha ha ha!" Bastion broke into a fit of laughter. "I'm sorry. I wasn't expecting you to be so direct. You are an amusing fellow. But you're right. I need to talk to you about last night."

"What about last night?" Link asked.

"We can't let all of Hyrule know about every attempt to kill the princess," he said calmly. "I'm not saying that you are at fault for it, but I need you to be discreet."

"I'm afraid I don't understand, Sir," Link said. "The princess is alive, didn't I do my job well?"

"I'm afraid you must do more," Bastion said. "You see, Link, whenever one of the royal family is attacked, it is not only the duty of the Royal Guard to repel the attack, but also keep it a secret from the public.

"The royal family is seen as nearly invulnerable to the public. To them, we are the closest thing to gods on this earth. Whenever it is known that someone got close to killing one of us, a portion of that invulnerability is chipped away. Eventually the people lose faith in our, my judgment. If that happens, there could be a chance at more attacks. So the less people know, the more they trust us. The more they trust us, the more we can trust them. Do you understand?"

"It's another branch of politics, isn't it?" Link asked.

"Not the greatest subject in the world, I agree. Personally, I prefer astronomy. But here, in this castle, politics runs everything that you and I deal with."

"Then I'll do my best to keep that in mind, Sir."

"That is all I can ask," Bastion said.

"May I ask another question, Sir?" Link asked.

"You just did," Bastion replied amusingly. "But I'll allow one more."

"A subordinate of mine told me that my role as bodyguard forbade me to pursue a relationship with the princess," Link explained. "What is a relationship?"

Bastion nearly collapsed with laughter. "Are you serious, Link?" he asked. "Didn't your father teach you about women?"

"I grew up with the Kokiri, Sir," Link explained. "I spent eight years alone on the plains. Aside from the doctor who instructed me in medical treatment, I never had anyone explain anything to me about women. And all I learned about them from the doctor was the physical differences between men and women."

"I see," Bastion said, taking a more serious tone. "Well, Sheik was right to inform you about that rule."

"You know Sheik?" Link asked, completely astonished.

"Yes, I have him run small errands for me every now and then. But back to your question. You understand what the queen and I are to each other, right?"

"I thought you were just siblings, or something of that sort."

"Me, and Yevernia, siblings! No, nothing of the sort. You see, she is my wife, and I am her husband. We are married. Marriage is a type of relationship."

"I'm afraid I don't understand."

"Alright, I'll try to simplify it… Ah! To put it as simply as possible, if you love a woman, and she loves you also, then the two of you are 'in love' with one another. Now if the two of you were to then agree to be with each other for as long as you possibly can, and express your love for one another as often as you can, that would be a relationship."

"Express love, Sir?"

"A lesson for another time. Did you understand?"

"I think so, but what is love?"

"Something you will come to understand in time. In the vaguest sense, love is wanting to be with someone always, but respecting her wish to be away from you. Being willing to give your life for hers, but knowing she will never ask it of you. It is being willing to give everything you are, and accepting anything you are given."

"That didn't make a lot of sense, Sir."

"And it won't until you fall in love yourself."

"Great, a lesson where the answer reveals itself of it's own accord."

"Not a lesson, Link, but a feeling."

"Either way, Sir," Link said, turning around. "I should be getting back to my duties."

"Slow down, Link!" Bastion said, grabbing him by the shoulder. "You have the time off."

"Pardon?"

"I also called you here to inform you that Jon would be taking over your duties during my daughter's class periods," Bastion explained.

"Can he be trusted?" Link asked.

"He has been with us since he was young," Bastion assured him. "Well that is, younger than he is. He was originally a squire, but he is a scholar at heart. He wanted a transfer, but that was impossible. So, I decided that, with your permission of course, he could guard the princess while she attends classes. Since there would be nothing else for him to do during that time, I suggested that he listen in on the lectures. If there were any trouble, he has his old training to fall back on."

"That didn't answer my question, Sir," Link reminded him.

"Yes, he can be trusted."

"Then he can enjoy the lectures all he wants," Link agreed. "I was probably going to fall asleep due to boredom anyways."

"That's not exactly the sort of thing you want to be telling your king," Bastion said in a serious tone.

"Yes, but you said that we weren't to worry about titles between the two of us," Link countered.

Bastion burst into another fit of laughter. "Very true, my friend."

"If you'll excuse me then, Sir," Link said. "I have things to see to."

"Such as?" Bastion asked.

"Finding the smithy, so I can work on a chainmail shirt."

"Why the sudden interest in chainmail?"

"I was shot in the arm last night," Link explained. "I didn't like it that much."

"Getting shot is rather painful, I must agree."

As Link turned a corner to leave, Bastion said, "Link!"

Link turned to see what he wanted.

"The forge is that way," he said, pointing in the opposite direction Link had gone down.

"Oh," he said, rushing to the other corridor. "Thank you, Sir."

"And one more thing, Link," Bastion called. "This conversation of ours, it never happened."

"What conversation are you talking about, Your Majesty?" Link asked with a dumb smile on his face.

AN: Hope you enjoyed. Sorry it took so long. Now, please review. Review as much as you can. Review until your fingers are so tired, you can barely use them. See you next time and Chapter 7: The "Noble" Prince Edmund. Laters!


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